Events in Raleigh, Durham, Asheville, Charlotte and elsewhere will mark the National Day of Action Against Deportations

(April 5, 2014)— Community groups across North Carolina are hosting events to mark National Day of Action Against Deportations tomorrow, Sat., April 5. The NC Justice Center is proud to support the message of these events: two million deportations is too many, and President Obama must act now to halt the deportation machinery and use his executive authority to provide immediate affirmative relief to families in North Carolina.

What: Protest against deportations in front of the Wake County Detention Center

When: Saturday, April 5 at 4:00 pm

Where: The community will gather at 421 Chapanoke Rd, Raleigh at 4pm and will march to the front of the Wake County Detention Center (people will gather at the corner of Chapanoke Rd with Hammond Rd)

Who: We Are Raleigh Community Group

MEDIA CONTACT: Nayely Perez-Huerta, 919-341-9796 or 919-433-6055

As part of the National Day of Action Against Deportations, We Are Raleigh is organizing a protest in front of the Wake County Detention Center where many immigrants are detained while they await their deportation.

The protest is prompted by the record deportations under the Obama administration, which are anticipated to hit a shameful milestone of two million removals since he took office. “We know the President doesn’t have to wait for Congress to use his executive power to stop the suffering of our communities,” said Yolanda Zavala, one of the event organizers. “He can expand the deferred action program he created for immigrant youth and stop deportations immediately.”

The immigrant community in Raleigh has been devastated by programs like 287(g) and Secure Communities, which have served as massive deportation machines. On April 5th, We Are Raleigh will join the National Day of Action Against Deportations and the Raleigh community will send a message to President Obama saying, “2 million people deported is too many. Not one more deportation.”

What: Southerners On New Ground & the Love Without Borders Truck will take part in the Day of Action to Stop Deportations.

When: Saturday, April 5 at 4:00 p.m. The rally will begin at 2 p.m., followed by a caravan to Raleigh to support the Raleigh event.

Where: Durham Police Department, 511 Jackson St. in Durham

Who: North Carolina Southerners On New Ground

MEDIA CONTACT: Serena Sebring, 919-597-9043

Asheville Joins National Day of Action to Pressure Obama to Stop Deportations

Where: St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood Rd, Asheville NC 28801

When: Saturday, April 5th.

Time: People will start gathering at 11:30am, Rally will begin at noon.

ASHEVILLE, NC (April 5, 2014) — On Saturday, April 5th, immigrants and supporters from throughout Western North Carolina will march through downtown Asheville, joining with millions around the country to call on President Obama to stop tearing apart immigrant families. Communities across the U.S. cannot wait any longer for the Obama administration to slow its unprecedented pace of deportations. As part of the national #Not1more Deportation campaign, the Coalición de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas (COLA), along with other grassroots organizations, will lead a march to the county jail, where local residents are regularly transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and put into removal proceedings.

The Obama administration will soon reach the dubious milestone of two million deportations since taking office. On Saturday, marchers will demand that the President prove his support for immigration reform by stopping this cruel policy that has separated so many North Carolina families. Our community cannot wait for relief, and the President does not need to wait for Congress. He can use his executive authority to stop this suffering today by suspending deportations immediately and expanding his deferred action program for immigrant youth.

April 5th is a national day of action under the banner “Two Million Two Many,” as communities across the country gather to demand a change in our president's approach to immigration. The Asheville march will wind through downtown and end near the Vance Monument, offering a message to Washington D.C., state legislators, and our local community. “We want President Obama to be a real reformer, not the Deporter-in-Chief,” said Bruno Hinojosa, one of the event organizers. “He has the power to give relief to millions with the stroke of a pen.”

Community members will conduct a vigil in front of the Mecklenburg County Jail beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. Participants will bring family photos of people facing deportation now or at risk for future deportation. The vigil will last no more than an hour, and will call for President Obama to issue a moratorium on deportations and to use his executive power to put a stop to the deportations.